Most at stake in 2015

[Greystache]

With the 2015 campaign kicking off on the weekend which players do you think need to make the most of their opportunities this year or risk finding themselves in trouble at season’s end?

For me the players with the most at stake are;

Prudden- When I’ve seen him play he looks a talent, but he’s been injured for most of the 2 years he’s been on the list. Another injury riddled year could spell the end for him.

Cordy- An obvious one, this will be his 7th year on the list and is out of contract at the end of the season. He needs to prove he is a viable option at AFL level even if it’s only as depth.

Redpath- Earned his place on the senior list, but with only the security of a 1 year contract he can’t afford to have a bad season.

Grant- Another obvious one but he’s lucky to have eked out as many years as he has. Without something astonishing happening you would expect him to be under pressure to stay on the list

Fuller- Looked a long way off the level in his first season, and the coaches have been brutal with the extra work they’ve been making him do to improve his competitiveness in his second year. Out of contract at season’s end and AFL footy can be pretty harsh on mature recruits who don’t come in and have an immediate impact.

[Dry Rot]

Would Pearce be in the same boat?

Wood may have a bit at stake, playing for a bigger contract elsewhere.

Has Dickson re-signed for the 2016 season?

[bulldogtragic]

Would Pearce be in the same boat?

Wood may have a bit at stake, playing for a bigger contract elsewhere.

Has Dickson re-signed for the 2016 season?

Dickson is, yes.

[lemmon]

One out of left field and I hate to say it but Dale Morris looked slightly off the boil last year. He was as dogged as ever but at times I remember thinking he lacked that little bit of acceleration and spring has that made him so hard to shake. The move to smaller opponents will help him but when your pace does go, it goes quickly. We need Dale at his athletic best.

[bulldogtragic]

With the 2015 campaign kicking off on the weekend which players do you think need to make the most of their opportunities this year or risk finding themselves in trouble at season’s end?

For me the players with the most at stake are;

Prudden- When I’ve seen him play he looks a talent, but he’s been injured for most of the 2 years he’s been on the list. Another injury riddled year could spell the end for him.

Cordy- An obvious one, this will be his 7th year on the list and is out of contract at the end of the season. He needs to prove he is a viable option at AFL level even if it’s only as depth.

Redpath- Earned his place on the senior list, but with only the security of a 1 year contract he can’t afford to have a bad season.

Grant- Another obvious one but he’s lucky to have eked out as many years as he has. Without something astonishing happening you would expect him to be under pressure to stay on the list

Fuller- Looked a long way off the level in his first season, and the coaches have been brutal with the extra work they’ve been making him do to improve his competitiveness in his second year. Out of contract at season’s end and AFL footy can be pretty harsh on mature recruits who don’t come in and have an immediate impact.

Ditto.

Wood - Only signed a one year deal last year. If he doesn't have a big year the offers won't be coming in and he might have to just take good coin to stay. If he has a cracking year, he could be interesting come FA time.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Agree with all of the above.

Campbell is an interesting one for mine - if he has an average year or he simply doesn't play 'enough' games, I wouldn't be surprised if opportunities came knocking elsewhere, as they often do with ruckmen. He won't be delisted, and perhaps he doesn't quite fit the category of 'most at stake', but dislodging Minson won't be easy and I could see some concern at year's end if that were the case.

[Bulldog Joe]

Agree with all of the above.

Campbell is an interesting one for mine - if he has an average year or he simply doesn't play 'enough' games, I wouldn't be surprised if opportunities came knocking elsewhere, as they often do with ruckmen. He won't be delisted, and perhaps he doesn't quite fit the category of 'most at stake', but dislodging Minson won't be easy and I could see some concern at year's end if that were the case.

This also has ramifications for Minson.

If Campbell/Cordy can step up it would make Will expendable.

[LostDoggy]

Agree with all of the above.

Campbell is an interesting one for mine - if he has an average year or he simply doesn't play 'enough' games, I wouldn't be surprised if opportunities came knocking elsewhere, as they often do with ruckmen. He won't be delisted, and perhaps he doesn't quite fit the category of 'most at stake', but dislodging Minson won't be easy and I could see some concern at year's end if that were the case.
Whilst I agree, I remember the same thing being said of Minson when Hudson was top dog.

[Mofra]

Pearce & Dickson for me in addition to the above.
We've recruited a few guys who can play in the backline (Fuller, Webb, Biggs, Darley) to complement Woods & our taller defenders which puts Pearce in a tough spot.

If Bevo starts swinging players around and puts a premium on flexibility, Dickson (and Grant) could be in trouble.

[1eyedog]

Picken's under the pump. If he has a similar year to last year he will be ok but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a position for him now. No. 1 tagger is all well and good but we do not need a hard tag every week and some of the players we need to tag are not suited to Picken (which is why Wally played run with last year). We have a raft of small, tough players now, very Picken-like but arguably with better skills. We'll be trying these guys out in different positions over this coming season and in to next and Picken's position is a hot spot. If he can maintain the intensity he can still provide a service but if he drops off he could find himself at Footscray over a number of weeks while we bleed the kids.

[Happy Days]

Whilst I agree, I remember the same thing being said of Minson when Hudson was top dog.

Minson would have been traded if GC wanted him.

[bornadog]

Picken's under the pump. If he has a similar year to last year he will be ok but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a position for him now. No. 1 tagger is all well and good but we do not need a hard tag every week and some of the players we need to tag are not suited to Picken (which is why Wally played run with last year). We have a raft of small, tough players now, very Picken-like but arguably with better skills. We'll be trying these guys out in different positions over this coming season and in to next and Picken's position is a hot spot. If he can maintain the intensity he can still provide a service but if he drops off he could find himself at Footscray over a number of weeks while we bleed the kids.

I think Picken is very underrated as a tagger. Macca made a big mistake trying to turn him into a back pocket player and bringing in Lower. Picken would be ranked amongst the top 5 taggers in the AFL.

[Greystache]

Minson would have been traded if GC wanted him.

Correct. Instead they went for Josh Fraser because... well... ummm...

[Mofra]

Correct. Instead they went for Josh Fraser because... well... ummm...
Relationship with Guy McKenna from Collingwood days.
And no other reason.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Whilst I agree, I remember the same thing being said of Minson when Hudson was top dog.

The difference is that Hudson was in his last year, and prior to that there was no sub, so playing two rucks was OK.

Minson still has a couple of years left and I can't see Campbell patiently waiting in the wings in his mid 20s if offers from elsewhere are coming.

[Greystache]

The difference is that Hudson was in his last year, and prior to that there was no sub, so playing two rucks was OK.

Minson still has a couple of years left and I can't see Campbell patiently waiting in the wings in his mid 20s if offers from elsewhere are coming.

And they invariably will. Jonathon Giles is a two time reject yet Essendon chased him like a prized recruit.

[always right]

Picken's under the pump. If he has a similar year to last year he will be ok but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a position for him now. No. 1 tagger is all well and good but we do not need a hard tag every week and some of the players we need to tag are not suited to Picken (which is why Wally played run with last year). We have a raft of small, tough players now, very Picken-like but arguably with better skills. We'll be trying these guys out in different positions over this coming season and in to next and Picken's position is a hot spot. If he can maintain the intensity he can still provide a service but if he drops off he could find himself at Footscray over a number of weeks while we bleed the kids.

One thing I've never doubted is Picken's ability to maintain his intensity. No matter what the game or the stage of the year he is one bloke who you can count on to give 100%. I fully expect him to confound us all yet again by playing most games. It's what he does.

[F'scary]

One thing I've never doubted is Picken's ability to maintain his intensity. No matter what the game or the stage of the year he is one bloke who you can count on to give 100%. I fully expect him to confound us all yet again by playing most games. It's what he does.

Good, seasoned player. We need him now more than ever.

[1eyedog]

One thing I've never doubted is Picken's ability to maintain his intensity. No matter what the game or the stage of the year he is one bloke who you can count on to give 100%. I fully expect him to confound us all yet again by playing most games. It's what he does.

I remember him dropping off for quite a few rounds during the middle of the 2013 season and many on here were calling for him to be dropped. Others were saying he was finished and were questioning his place in the team. He did, however, finish that year very strongly. He's an important player.

[Sedat]

Clay Smith will need to have a big year IMO. The fast ball movement mantra won't particularly suit his skill set and he has come off 3 horrendous injuries in 18 months. Not sure if he's out of contract at the end of the year.

[1eyedog]

Clay Smith will need to have a big year IMO. The fast ball movement mantra won't particularly suit his skill set and he has come off 3 horrendous injuries in 18 months. Not sure if he's out of contract at the end of the year.

End of 2016. Has anyone seen him on the track? How is he going?

[Mofra]

Clay Smith will need to have a big year IMO. The fast ball movement mantra won't particularly suit his skill set and he has come off 3 horrendous injuries in 18 months. Not sure if he's out of contract at the end of the year.
In a team where we've just drafted a bunch of fast-ball moving kids, elite contested ball winners will be needed.
I don't think faster ball movement will necessarily come at the cost of winning the contest. Smith actually plays the contested tough as nails forward role very well (as he did under B-mac, spending more time forward than in the middle).

[soupman]

From my pov Smith's only problem is recovering from injury.

I think it's underappreciated just how well he was tracking and the form he had just hit when he did his injury. He was shutting down oppositions main ball users really effectively, and getting a fair bit of the ball going the other way.

In the match he did his knee, he had shut down Heppell for the first 3 quarters and hurt him going the other way. When he got injured Heppell came right back into the match.

Smith is too good a player, regardless of skillset, to struggle under certain gameplans. Just needs to stay fit, because otherwise he is very talented.

[bornadog]

I remember him dropping off for quite a few rounds during the middle of the 2013 season and many on here were calling for him to be dropped. Others were saying he was finished and were questioning his place in the team. He did, however, finish that year very strongly. He's an important player.

Shouldn't have played the back pocket role

[Axe Man]

From my pov Smith's only problem is recovering from injury.

I think it's underappreciated just how well he was tracking and the form he had just hit when he did his injury. He was shutting down oppositions main ball users really effectively, and getting a fair bit of the ball going the other way.

In the match he did his knee, he had shut down Heppell for the first 3 quarters and hurt him going the other way. When he got injured Heppell came right back into the match.

Smith is too good a player, regardless of skillset, to struggle under certain gameplans. Just needs to stay fit, because otherwise he is very talented.

Of course that was the first time he did his knee, in 2013. Almost the same thing happened against Essendon in 2014, except this time it was Wallis who went down to allow Heppell off the chain. This year nobody is going to want to tag Heppell, it's a cursed role!

[Smads57]

End of 2016. Has anyone seen him on the track? How is he going?

I seen him training last evening as part of the open training session. He looked like he was well on the road to full recovery being able to join in the basic skills sessions at the start and then working one on one with some of the coaching staff e.g. simple one on one marking competitions, kick to kick practice.

[Drunken Bum]

This year nobody is going to want to tag Heppell, it's a cursed role!

Hopefully justice will be served and no one will have to

[LostDoggy]

Of course that was the first time he did his knee, in 2013. Almost the same thing happened against Essendon in 2014, except this time it was Wallis who went down to allow Heppell off the chain. This year nobody is going to want to tag Heppell, it's a cursed role!

Maybe they can get some tips on vitamins.

[Testekill]

From my pov Smith's only problem is recovering from injury.

I think it's underappreciated just how well he was tracking and the form he had just hit when he did his injury. He was shutting down oppositions main ball users really effectively, and getting a fair bit of the ball going the other way.

In the match he did his knee, he had shut down Heppell for the first 3 quarters and hurt him going the other way. When he got injured Heppell came right back into the match.

Smith is too good a player, regardless of skillset, to struggle under certain gameplans. Just needs to stay fit, because otherwise he is very talented.


And of course Smith injured himself the second time playing the Essendon VFL team. He pretty much had them running scared in that match too.

[azabob]

I
Hopefully justice will be served and no one will have to

I genuinely like Heppell both on and off field. Shame he has been caught up in this mess.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I love Clay, I really hope we see him back at his best. His VFL form was phenomenal prior to injuring his knee and as stated above, he was in good form when he did the first one v Essendon.

As much as I love Bonti, Stringer, Macrae etc. I am desperate to see a fit and firing Clay Smith in September.

[jeemak]

From my pov Smith's only problem is recovering from injury.

I think it's underappreciated just how well he was tracking and the form he had just hit when he did his injury. He was shutting down oppositions main ball users really effectively, and getting a fair bit of the ball going the other way.

In the match he did his knee, he had shut down Heppell for the first 3 quarters and hurt him going the other way. When he got injured Heppell came right back into the match.

Smith is too good a player, regardless of skillset, to struggle under certain gameplans. Just needs to stay fit, because otherwise he is very talented.

I tend to agree with this. I can't see Clay having any struggles forging a successful AFL career if he is able to get his knee right.

Aside from the way he looks when he's using it, the odd helicopter and some short clangers he might make he's a very very cleaver footballer who probably gets underestimated because of his high performance in close bashing and crashing.

A quick game style needs to be complemented by those capable of winning the ball in close and getting early use to those on the outside.

[lemmon]

Just to add to that it's not as if he is solely a midfielder with no other strings to his bow. I could comfortably foresee a career in a forward pocket or flank with his goal sense and forward pressure. There's a lot to like about young Clay

[Sedat]

I love Clay, I really hope we see him back at his best. His VFL form was phenomenal prior to injuring his knee and as stated above, he was in good form when he did the first one v Essendon.

As much as I love Bonti, Stringer, Macrae etc. I am desperate to see a fit and firing Clay Smith in September.
This is how I feel about Clay, and my possibly harsh judgement of this being a crunch year for him is based on the expectations I have on him. If he has another interrupted year or fails to find his best form due to rustiness and not trusting his body, it will be difficult for him. Maybe next year is his crunch year instead of 2015. I really want him to make it and make it with a sizeable impact on the competition.

[1eyedog]

This is how I feel about Clay, and my possibly harsh judgement of this being a crunch year for him is based on the expectations I ha e on him. If he has another interrupted year or fails to find his best form due to rustiness and not trusting his body, it will be difficult for him. Maybe next year is his crunch year instead of 2015. I really want him to make it and make it with a sizeable impact on th3 competition.

You'd think so considering he is contracted until 2016. Even then, considering the horrendous run he's had I doubt the club would think that the last year of his contract will be crunch time. He's far too good a player to not perform at least to the clubs bare minimum requirements and he is far too committed to let an injury dent his confidence. The club will be patient with him because he's worth it. Gun player.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

For mine as stated by others Cordy and Grant are the boys in the gun.

Cordy really needs to start to own VFL games or he will never make the jump, A little likePeter Street

Grant I honestly cant see him fitting into the side as he lacks discipline and intensity. i would expect Bevo to sort this out.

Minson is the other, The young guns are coming and you have had a injury free pre season. It is totally up to the big fella this year, he has no reason he cant recall the AA form of a couple of years ago.

[Avoid the rush]

I reckon Clay Smith is the one with most at stake. I see him and Jake Stringer as our closest version of a strong leadership type (Hodge, Selwood etc.) which all sides need to win premierships. He needs to be fit , injury free and in the side every week as soon as he gets the all clear. Another setback could be career ending for him. I still think he is such a gun and pray that the knee injury hasn't buggered him up.

[1eyedog]

I reckon Clay Smith is the one with most at stake. I see him and Jake Stringer as our closest version of a strong leadership type (Hodge, Selwood etc.) which all sides need to win premierships. He needs to be fit , injury free and in the side every week as soon as he gets the all clear. Another setback could be career ending for him. I still think he is such a gun and pray that the knee injury hasn't buggered him up.

I just don't get the Clay Smith crunch time thing. Why the massive expectation on him? He's already shown how committed he is to his rehabilitation, to be honest if he did his knee again this year he would still come back, he is that persistent, also, he's only 21!. How would the knee injury have buggered him up? There are a dozen players in front of Clay in terms of crunch time.